Comedian Russell Kane was asked to explain why there is nothing
funny about the fact that the Queen "must have had sex at least
four times" on the programme, which aired at 6.30 p.m. GMT (1.30
p.m. ET) on 21 April.

Kane's observations included the line: “Four times we have to
think of republicanism as we imagine four children emerging from
Her Majesty’s vulva."

UK media watchdog Ofcom said on Monday that the jokes could be
seen as "humiliating and intrusive" by listeners. Ofcom received
12 complaints about the show (on top of 120 made directly to the
BBC) and concluded that it broke the Broadcasting Code. This
states that: "Broadcasters must ensure that material which may
cause offence is justified by the context."

The BBC said the "Don’t Make Me Laugh" broadcast was a
"regrettable failure of editorial judgment and compliance
processes." The jokes were not flagged properly before
transmission — even after the BBC scheduled the show on the
Queen's birthday.

The BBC has since confirmed that "Don’t Make Me Laugh" will not
return for another series. A spokeswoman told The Guardian: "We’re lucky
to receive hundreds of great ideas from brilliant comedians who
want to work with Radio 4, and we always bring a mix of returning
shows to our audiences whilst also finding space for new
programmes in our packed schedule."